Dental Crown La Mesa patients start with an accurate diagnosis and a provider who explains every option clearly. A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that fits over a damaged tooth, restoring its strength and appearance. Made from durable dental materials and shaded to match your natural teeth, a permanent crown sits at the gum line for a seamless repair. At Salt and Smile Dental Co., Dr. Shawn Yazdanmehr plans every crown around your oral health.
Dental Crown La Mesa
Meet Dr. Yazdanmehr
Dr. Shawn Yazdanmehr earned his dental degree from the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry after pre-dental studies at UCLA. He practiced restorative care in downtown Chicago before returning to San Diego to open this dental practice, Salt and Smile Dental Co., where crowns and bridges are among his specialty areas. As a solo provider, he reviews every case personally and stays involved from your first appointment through final placement.
Are you experiencing a cracked, damaged, or weakened tooth?
Is a dental crown right for you?
Not every damaged tooth needs a crown, and not every crown candidate realizes their situation calls for one. The questions below are designed to help you consider whether your symptoms, history, and goals point to this treatment before your appointment.
Options: Types of Dental Crowns
Porcelain and Tooth-Colored Crowns
For patients who want a result that blends with their smile, porcelain and tooth-colored crowns are among the most requested custom crowns at Salt and Smile Dental Co. They’re designed to match the color and translucency of surrounding teeth, making them a strong choice for front teeth or any visible area.
Porcelain crowns produce results nearly indistinguishable from natural teeth, without the dark gumline some older crowns showed. They do hold up less well under heavy bite forces, especially for patients who grind their teeth. A fracture resistance comparison of porcelain-veneered and monolithic zirconia crowns found porcelain-veneered crowns fractured at meaningfully lower loads than solid zirconia. Even so, both crown types withstood forces beyond typical biting.
Ceramic and All-Ceramic Crowns
All-ceramic crowns have no metal substructure, removing the risk of a visible metal margin at the gumline over time. They’re a strong choice when aesthetics and biocompatibility matter most, particularly for patients with metal sensitivities or a highly visible placement. The absence of metal also means the crown won’t interfere with certain imaging procedures, giving your dentist a clearer view during future checkups.
All-ceramic crowns look natural and contain no metal, which appeals to patients who want a natural-looking result. However, certain materials fracture more easily under very high bite forces than zirconia. A systematic review of all-ceramic crown fracture rates by tooth type found an overall five-year fracture rate near 4%. Still, molars fractured significantly more often than premolars or front teeth.
Zirconia Crowns
Zirconia crowns are metal-free and known for strength, holding up reliably in the back of the mouth where chewing forces are highest. Modern zirconia can be milled to closely match natural tooth color, so patients don’t have to choose between durability and appearance. For a crown on a molar or premolar, zirconia often balances both goals better than other materials.
Zirconia resists fracture better than most crown materials and performs reliably under long-term pressure, though monolithic zirconia can look slightly more opaque than layered porcelain. A five-year clinical study of monolithic zirconia crown esthetics and survival confirmed this trade-off: zirconia’s density limits translucency, even as the same study reported strong five-year clinical performance.
What Happens During Your Dental Crown Visit
Your First Visit With Dr. Yazdanmehr
Your first visit starts with Dr. Yazdanmehr examining the tooth and reviewing your options before any work begins. Once you’re comfortable in the treatment chair, he numbs the area and prepares you for the steps ahead. This appointment sets the foundation for a restoration built specifically around your tooth. Nothing moves forward until you understand what to expect.
Shaping Your Tooth and Recording Shade Measurements
Dr. Yazdanmehr removes a small amount of outer tooth structure to make room for the crown. He then takes dental impressions and precise shade measurements so the lab can match color and shape to your natural teeth. This step determines how well the final crown blends in. A temporary crown goes on before you leave to protect the prepared tooth.
Protecting the Tooth While Your Crown Is Made
While your permanent crown is fabricated, a temporary crown covers and protects the prepared tooth. It’s made from plastic or metal and isn’t meant to last, but it prevents sensitivity and keeps the tooth stable between visits. Avoid sticky or hard foods on that side of your mouth. Most patients wear the temporary for one to two weeks.
Matching Your Crown to Your Natural Teeth
Your custom crown is fabricated using durable dental materials like porcelain or zirconia, chosen based on the tooth’s location and your bite. The lab uses the shade measurements from your visit to shape a crown that blends with your natural teeth rather than standing out. Every crown is custom made to your exact impressions. The goal is a restoration you won’t have to think about once it’s placed.
Checking Fit and Bite at Your Second Visit
On your second visit, Dr. Yazdanmehr removes the temporary crown and checks the fit of the permanent crown before bonding it into place. He reviews your bite carefully, since a crown that sits even slightly wrong can cause problems later. Small adjustments are made chairside if needed. Once everything fits correctly, the restoration process is complete and you leave with a fully functional tooth.
Scheduling Dental Checkups and Long-Term Dental Maintenance
A well-placed crown can last 10 to 15 years or longer, but that depends on how you care for it. Sticking to a consistent dental hygiene regimen and attending regular dental checkups helps catch problems early. Dr. Yazdanmehr checks your crown at every routine visit as part of ongoing dental maintenance. Simple habits now protect your investment for years to come.
Alternative Treatments: What happens if you do nothing?
Crowns are one of several restorative dental procedures for a compromised tooth, but delaying treatment narrows those options over time.
Financial Implications of More Invasive Solutions
Placing a crown when a tooth first becomes crown-eligible is almost always cheaper than treating it later. A tooth that progresses to extraction now needs either a dental implant or a bridge to fill the gap, both of which cost significantly more than the crown that could have saved it.
That cost gap compounds when multiple teeth are affected over time. The American Association of Endodontists states that saving a natural tooth is typically less costly than extraction followed by a bridge or implant, per its cost comparison of root canal treatment versus extraction. That one decision point often determines whether you spend hundreds or thousands more later.
Health Implications of More Invasive Solutions
A damaged tooth left untreated is a direct pathway for bacteria to reach its inner structure, where infection can develop into an abscess. At that point, you may need a root canal before a crown can be placed, or the tooth may need to come out. Oral infections don’t always stay contained to the mouth, and the connection to broader systemic health is well documented.
These risks extend beyond the tooth itself and can carry measurable consequences for overall health. A federal healthcare report notes untreated dental infections can progress to abscess and, in serious cases, life-threatening sepsis, per the federal report on health risks of untreated dental infection. Poor oral health overall has also been linked to chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
Safety Implications of More Invasive Solutions
Once a damaged tooth requires extraction, the risks expand in ways crown placement doesn’t carry, since tooth loss triggers bone loss at the site almost immediately. That’s why Dr. Yazdanmehr also performs socket preservation and bone grafting for patients who need extraction, protecting the jawbone for future restoration. A planned procedure like a crown carries far fewer risks than an emergency extraction on an infected tooth.
Jawbone deterioration after tooth loss is predictable and begins quickly without intervention. A systematic review of jawbone loss following tooth extraction found the jaw can lose 29 to 63 percent of its width and 11 to 22 percent of its height within six months. That’s a significant amount of structure lost before a replacement tooth even enters the conversation.
Reserve Your Dental Crown La Mesa Appointment This Week
Dental Crown in La Mesa doesn’t have to mean losing sleep over decisions or wondering whether the material is right for you. Dr. Shawn Yazdanmehr and the team at Salt and Smile Dental Co. walk you through every step, from diagnosis to final placement. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see the practice before your visit, and reach out today to schedule your consultation.
FAQs
How long does a dental crown last?
A dental crown typically lasts 10 to 15 years, and many last longer with consistent oral hygiene and regular dental maintenance visits. Longevity depends on where the crown sits, the material used, and habits like grinding or clenching. Patients who keep up with cleanings and exams give their crowns the best chance of lasting. Dr. Yazdanmehr will tell you what to watch for over time.
How is a crown different from a filling?
A filling restores a portion of a tooth after decay is removed from a localized area. A crown covers the entire visible portion of the tooth and is used when damage is too extensive for a filling to hold under bite pressure. Fillings work well for minor to moderate needs, but a structurally compromised tooth needs the full coverage a crown provides. Your dentist recommends whichever option matches your tooth’s actual condition.
How many appointments does it take to get a dental crown?
Most crowns require two appointments. The first involves preparing the tooth, taking an impression, and placing a temporary crown. The second, usually a few weeks later, is when the permanent crown is placed and adjusted for fit and bite. Dr. Yazdanmehr reviews the result carefully before you leave to confirm it feels right and functions correctly.
Can a crown be placed over a tooth that already has a large filling?
In many cases, yes. When an existing filling takes up a significant portion of the tooth, the remaining structure may not be strong enough to support another filling. A crown placed over that tooth protects what’s left and spreads bite pressure across the full surface instead of concentrating it. Whether a crown is the right next step depends on how much healthy structure remains, which Dr. Yazdanmehr will assess during your exam.
Do I need a crown after a root canal?
In most cases, yes. A root canal removes the tooth’s internal tissue, leaving the remaining structure more brittle and prone to fracture under normal chewing. A crown placed over the treated tooth protects it from cracking and extends the restoration’s life. Skipping the crown is a common reason those teeth eventually fracture and need extraction.
